Shoulder pad



May 12, 1953 w. RII-:DLER ET A1.-

SHOULDER PAD Filed July 8, 1949 n INVENTUM BY Earl/'mld Mec/mr HTTORNEYS Patented May 12, 1953 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE A` SHOULDER mn Application July S, 1949, Serial No. 103,578

(Cl. 2-268) l 8 Claims. l

This invention relates to a structurally and functionally improved shoulder pad for use in connection with garments, such as coats, dresses, etc.

It is an object of the invention to furnish a shoulder pad which will properly fit into an armhole and support and contour the garment in a manner such that the material of the latter will not gather.

A further object is that of providing a unit of this type which may readily be employed by tailors and other artisans so that the sleeve may be properly supported and draped with respect to the body of the garment and adjacently to the armhole of the latter; the use of `such pad requiring but minimum skill.

An additional object is that of providing a pad which will embody simple design and structure and accordingly be capable cf quantity manufacture treatment so that the unit may be sold at nominal cost.

With these and other objects in mind, reference is had to the attached sheet of drawings illustrating one practical embodiment of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a prospective View of a complete pad;

Fig. 2 is the covering portion or member prior to the assembly of the part; y

Fig. 3 is a plan view illustrating the units in process of assembly;

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the complete pad and;

Fig. 5 is a somewhat enlarged transverse sectional view taken along the line E-- and in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 4.

Referring primarily to Fig. 2, the numerals I and il indicate sections of a covering formed of any desired material and which sections may be joined to each other by a line of sol-called iiatloci; stitching I2 or any other joining stitch. That line of stitching as illustrated preferably extends in an arcuate direction. As is apparent while different sections I0 and II may in many instances be preferred, a single material section might provide the cover.

Projecting portions I3 form a part of the covering in opposite side edges thereof. Slits I4 and I5 may deiine these projecting portions. These slits extend at angles with respect to each other. The slits I4 and I5 provide openings in the covering adjacent the projecting portions I 3. These openings are defined 'by the edges of the slits I4 and la Extending laterally across thel` covering is a ioldline' for the covering. The slits It and I5 terminate at or near this fold line. Below the slits I 4 and I5 the covering portions are extended as I6 and the opposed edges of these areas may be formed with slits Il should this be desired. Regardless of whether the covering is formed oi more than one section or not, it is to be understood at the present time that the left hand area as viewed in Fig. 2 indicates the rear portion of the iinished pad and the right hand area II, the front portion thereof.

Layers I 8, I 9 and 2o are placed upon the covering after the latter is inverted as shown in Fig. 3. The pad is then folded upon itself along the lines defined by the rear edges of the projecting portions !3 and the slits I4 and I5 aswell as the line indicated by dot and dash in Fig. 3. The fold line extends from one edge of the covering to the other. The filling or shaping material indicated by the layers I3, i9 and 2li may be of a nature taught in our United States Letters Patent No. 2,523,720, issued September 26, 1950. Itis apparent that different filling materials might be employed and that if a soft pad is desired stitching might be resorted to in order to secure the parts against movement without employing heat or pressure. In any event, it is preferred to employ a staple ZI or the equivalent thereof to initially couple the parts against movement and prior to any final shaping operation. As will be understood if pressure is employed then dry or wet heat may be resorted to.

In any event, a pad should ultimately result which will have the appearance of that shown in Figs. 1, a and 5. This is accomplished by folding the covering layer as in Figs. 2 and 3 upon itself along the lines indicated by dotv and dash in the latter gure. Under these circumstances, the curved central line I2 will in the upper and lower sections or layers of the cover be aligned. Especially if pressure and heat are employed then a properly contoured and curved unit will' result as in Fig. 1 and as taught for example in the aiore identified application for patent. The projectingv portions i3 will extend beyond the adjacent parts i5 and Vi, as defined by the slits it and I5. This has been indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. The dot and clash line indicates the extension of the fold line to the edge of the covering. In Fig. 5 one of the projecting portions I3 is shown. The extension of the fold line to the edge o the covering is also shown. The extension of the projecting portion I3 beyond the fold line is shown.

It is apparent that ample material will thus be available for securing the pad to those portions of the garment which are adjacent to the arm-" hole. Also, as indicated in Figs. 1, 4 and 5 a line of stitching 22 may be employed to retain or assist in retaining the parts of the assembly against displacement.

As will be understood the outer edge portion of the pad will preferably be curved throughout substantially its entire length, despite the straight area of fold indicated by dot and dash lines in Fig. 3. This will be because of the padding material and the shaping operation which will occur to achieve this result. As shown in the several views the pad is of substantially tri. angular formation when viewed either in initially assembled condition or in its lnal form. This configuration may, of course be varied in certain particulars. In a shoulder pad the important area, with relation to the t in its respective ga-rment, lies along the outer edge of the shoulder pad which is to be fastened to the arrn hole portion of the particular garment. In the shoulder pad of the invention this outer edge is formed along the fold line, on which line the shoulder pad is folded on itself. The important area is the fold of the shoulder pad and the resultant side edge of the pad. This outer edge POltion of the pad is curved and the axis of this Acurved edge is shown as line AA in Fig. 5. This axis is in the same general direction as the long dimension of the shoulder portion of the garment into which the shoulder pad is to be set.

As mentioned above, the projecting portions i3 which extend outwardly of the shoulder pad in general are formed by the slits i4 and l5. Edges of the slits I4 and l5 form Ia part 4of the curved outer edge of the shoulder pad after the shoulder pad is folded into its final form as shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 5. The axis A-A extends lalong the long dimension of the shoulder pad. The projections I3' extend outward oi the shoulder pad from a line that is lperpendicular to the `axis A-A, Thus, the shoulder pad fits into the shoulder and the arm hole of the garment.

In an ordinary pad of this type the outer seoond edge portion contacts the line of the armhole at only a single point. yThis i-s usually ad.- jacent to the upper zone of the 'armhole Due to the transverse and laterally curved conguration of the outer edge of a pad constructed in accordance with present teachings, this end edge will align with the edge of the arrnhole throughout the entire length of the former, Therefore,

the top zone of the ycloth of a garment does not gather `or iall into pleats incident to the application of the pad. The longer slit M being incorporated in the rear portion or zone of the pad a proper length is provided and the material of the garment will also not tend to gather at this point.

Thus, among others, the several objects of the invention as sp-ecically afore noted are achieved. Gbviously numerous changes in `construction and rearrangement of the parts mghtbe ref. sorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims.

W e claim:

l, A shoulder pad comprising in combination a sheet of material, a fold in said sheet upon itself, an upper layer of said sheet formed by said fold, a lower layer f said sheet formed by said fold, said fold extending transversely across said sheet and interposed between said layers, a pad of material contained within the upper and lower layers of Sadolded sheet material. en. @dse oi said pad of materiel abutting the ner surface 0f said fold, Sli-t delicias eases er# tending into said sheet at an angle to lsaid fold, and e projecting portion of `said sheet adjacent one of said edges and extending from said fold.

2. A shoulder pad including in combination a sheet of material, a fold in said sheet upon itself, an upper layer of said sheet formed by said fold, a lower layer of said sheet formed by said fold, said fold extending transversely across said sheet and inter-posed between said layers, a pad of material positioned between the upper and lower layers of vsaid folded sheet of material, slit dening edges in said sheet on each side of said shoulder pad, said edges formed at an angle to said transverse fold, a rst set of .said .edges in said lower layer extending in one direction Afrom said transverse fold and a second lset o f said edges in said upper layer extending in the opposite direction from said fold whereby said iirst set of edges in said lower layer form angles with their respective edges in the second set of edges in the upper layer.

3. A shoulder pad as claimed in claim 2 including portions o f said sheet each projecting outward from one of said second set of edges in said upper layer.

4. A shoulder pad as claimed in claim 2 in which said rst set of edges of said lower layer extend at acute angles to said transverse fold terminating thereat and portions of said u-pper layer each project from one of said second set of edges.

5. A shoulder pad comprising in combination a sheet of material, a fold in said sheet upon itseh?, an upper layer of said sheet formed by said fold, a lower layer oi said sheet formed by said fold, said fold extending transversely across said sheet and interposed betwen said layers, a pad of material contained within the upper and lower layers of said folded sheet of material, an edge of said pad of material abutting the inner surface of said fold, a slit deiningl edge extending into said sheet at an angle to said fold, and a projecting portion ofv the said sheet adjacent edge and extending from said fold.

6. A shoulder pad including in combination a sheet of material, a fold in said sheet upon itself, an upper layer of said sheet formed hy said fold, a lower layer of said sheet formed by said fold, said fold extending transversely across said sheet and interposed between said layers, a oad of material positioned between the upper and lower layers of said folded sheet of material, a pair of slit .defining edges in said sheet at one side of said shoulder pad forming angles to said transverse fold, one of said edges extending in one direction from said fold and the other of said edges .extending in the opposite direction from said fold whereby said edges ,form an angle with each other.

7. A. shoulder pad comprising in combination a sheet of material, a fold in said sheet upon itself, an upper layer of said sheet formed by Said fold,V a lowerlaver `of said ,sheet formed by said fold, said fold extending transversely across said sheet and curved to give s id shoulder pad arcuate shape, a pad of material contained within the upper and lower layers oi folded sheet of material and curved to conform therewith, a curved edge of said pad of material abutting the curved inner surface of said curved fold, a slit defining edge extending into said sheet at an angle to said fold and extending from said curved fold Aas an extension thereof, and a projecting portion of Said Sheet @dissent said @flee and d.-

ne'd by Said ede@ to proieetirem said Shoulder' Dad.

,8. A shoulder' pad comprising in combination J a sheet of material having a center line, said sheet being foldable on said center line, a pad of material encflosable within said sheet of material, an upper layer of said sheet formed by said fold and enclosable on said pad, a lower layer of said sheet formed by said fold and enclosable on said pad, a rst slit dening edge extending into said sheet at an angle to said fold, a second slit dening edge extending into said sheet at an angle to said fold, said first and second slit dening edgesgbeing at angles to each other when said sheet of material is unfolded, and an edge of said pad'material lying between said slit denning edgesl and abutting the inner surface of said fold.

' WALTER RIEDLER.

BERTHOLD MECHUR.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Y Num-ber 

